China meets annual growth target despite slowest quarterly expansion in three years
China hit its 5.0 percent 2025 growth target despite a slowing fourth quarter. Record exports balanced weak domestic demand and a persistent property crisis.
Insights:
The world's second-largest economy, China 
CN, released official data on Monday, January 19, 2026, showing that it reached its 5.0 percent annual growth target for 2025. This full-year figure successfully met the government's target of around 5 percent and exceeded the 4.9 percent growth that analysts had previously forecast. However, the headline achievement was tempered by a fourth-quarter gross domestic product expansion of 4.5 percent year-over-year, which represents the slowest quarterly growth rate in three years. Although this 4.5 percent growth met government targets and surpassed the 4.4 percent forecast by analysts, it highlighted a cooling trend from the 4.8 percent growth recorded in the third quarter of 2025.
CN, released official data on Monday, January 19, 2026, showing that it reached its 5.0 percent annual growth target for 2025. This full-year figure successfully met the government's target of around 5 percent and exceeded the 4.9 percent growth that analysts had previously forecast. However, the headline achievement was tempered by a fourth-quarter gross domestic product expansion of 4.5 percent year-over-year, which represents the slowest quarterly growth rate in three years. Although this 4.5 percent growth met government targets and surpassed the 4.4 percent forecast by analysts, it highlighted a cooling trend from the 4.8 percent growth recorded in the third quarter of 2025.
